Making the most of it

By Bill Fox/Columnist

Please know that our families are wishing you and yours all the best at this Christmas time.  Now you might be thinking what do you mean by “all the best”.  It certainly is different from previous Christmas periods. For me it used to mean the best of Health, Happiness and Holiness (meaning spirituality) sprinkled with Hilarity.  The 4Hs as I like to refer to them, and they are still possible but in different ways.  I would have liked to have started a 4H club, but a farmer, wanting to encourage a youth component in agriculture in 1901 beat me to it.  The 4Hs in Canada’s 4H clubs stand for Head (managing, thinking), Heart (relating and caring), Hands (giving and working) and Health (being and living).

So perhaps like many readers, we will not be travelling anywhere this Holiday period.  In the past few years we celebrated here with our 3 sons and their partners a few days before Christmas and even had the Fox Clan…my brothers and sister and their families here for a Christmas dinner a few weeks before the 25th.  Just before Christmas we would be on a plane to B.C. to be with our eldest son’s family, which includes our 4 grandchildren, the youngest being 3 year old twins.  Now that we can’t go, it makes us appreciate more the blessings we had pre-Covid.

A water main broke at King and Park this past week and we had no water for several hours.  I was almost panicking.  Yet I’m reminded that when two of our sons went to Zimbabwe on a charity trip, some of the families there had to travel up to 12 miles to fetch water.  So it’s always good to keep our blessings in perspective.

Last week Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister was close to tears as he was describing COVID-19 situation and how it will affect our Christmas and holiday celebrations.  He pleaded that we wait till 2021 to go back to real family celebrations.  His emotional regrets moved me.

So I’m still wishing you a Merry Christmas this year though it

May not be like past years but

Everyone can make allowances and

Re-evalute what are their priorities

Realizing that family and friends will make

You the happiest when they are healthy and happy.

 

Churches will be filled on the 25th but I’m

Hoping they will abide by new

Restrictions that are needed

If we are to beat down and

Stay safe against

This terrible pandemic.

Many are hopeful that

As the year progresses the vaccines will be

Safe and provide the protection we will need

 

To bring some sense of normalcy back to

Our country and families

 

You may have to do without

Or do with less this Christmas but

U and I need to remember our blessing and be thankful for Face time or Zoom to keep in touch.

 

As Scrooge said when he was converted, “God Bless Us, Everyone One!”

I know many of us are optimistic and are trying to spread Faith, Hope and Charity as I am at bdfox@rogers.com.